Little bit of this and that...

Do you know with everything going on recently I forgot all about showing you one of my latest finds.

As you might know if you've read any of my previous posts I did a wardrobe challenge (new wardrobe of clothes for less than £100 - actually did it for less than £60) but what happens when you buy a lot of new clothes? Well, you need to see what they look like on of course! Now I'm one of those people who have mirrors on the wall and to see myself full length have to leap up and down on the spot to see my bottom half. Not good. So I surfed the dreaded evilbay trying to find a nice cheval mirror and found myself continually outbid.

I should have known I'd find one at the Booty sale. I tend to find everything there sooner or later.

I found this one for a fiver and didn't bother to haggle! (Why does pine always look orange in photos? ) Apart from a rub down with wax to buff up the wood and hide a few surface scratches I've done nothing to it.

The DH isn't too keen on it as he says it makes him look taller. Surely that's a good thing for a mirror to do? At least in my book. Its the ones that make you look smaller and fatter I can't stand :-) . Anyhow, there's no need to jump up and down while standing on the stairs anymore as now I have my much needed full length mirror. How did I live without it?

Have you ever found anything and then wondered how you lived without it?

Apart from my mirror pickings on the thrifting front have been slim. I did find a pair of jeans which I really liked and paid £2 for....

Victoria Beckham for Rock and Republic. I've heard they are rather expensive when bought new....

On my educational front I'm now really enjoying both my courses. Last week I was very unsure about the Reiki/Aromatherapy course and I'll explain why.

When I walked into the class my first thought was, 'Oh, it smells like the cleaners have been in using Cif scouring powder and I think they've gone a bit mad with it.' I sat down and the smell started to attack the back of my throat, I began to clear my throat and then sneeze several times. Finally I got control over myself and that was when the tutor said, " I'm burning lemonbalm to clear your head and drive out negative thoughts."

I very nearly said, "Its burning my throat out never mind clearing my head," but I restrained myself as I have a tendency to chirp up a bit too often and I'm trying to be good.

Then the tutor played a tape of a Native American Indian explaining how to do a relaxing breathing exercise. Sort of breathe in through your nose for 6 seconds, hold it for 4 and then breathe out through your mouth for 8 seconds. Oh and while you are doing that do a minor contortion act with your tongue. I did try, honest I did. But who besides a deep sea pearl diver can blow out their breathe for 8 seconds? Not me anyway. I ran out of puff at 4 seconds and had to take another breathe in between. I did look round at this point to see if anyone else was struggling but no, the rest of the class were all sat there with their eyes closed and blowing out through their mouths. Perhaps it's just me then. I did complain about this at the end of the class but teacher waved my complaints about hyperventalating away saying I'll get better at it. Sure I will, with another set of lungs.

Next we tried to meditate while listening to the same guy rattling on about forgiveness, about forgiving others for losing our tempers with them and apologising to our bodies for stuff we've done to it in the past. Anyhow, this guy was rattling on and on, and on in a very irritating way. I tried to join in the spirit of things (everyone else was concentrating with their eyes shut - I turned round and had another look at them) so I tried to think who I'd lost my temper with recently.... I couldn't think of anyone -who didn't deserve it-.

I had shouted at the dog that day and she'd looked very upset afterwards but really she should have known not to try to eat a dead rabbit and I only shouted at her for her own good in case it had died of some dreadful disease.... I tried to think about any abuse I'd done to my body... but apart from stubbing my little toe (which did hurt) when I was bringing the shopping in I couldn't think of anything else.

I decided that the Indian guy rattling on either needs to get out of his Tepee more often or else he's done something very bad to himself and others and is inflicting his guilt onto other people. As for meditating.... Who can meditate with a man rattling on and on in the background? So, this guy was still rattling on....(yeah it took ages) and I started to yawn. Not those normal discreet yawns you can cover but those huge belly yawns when you really need to make the big YAWN noise as well. Aware that I was probably already being considered as a 'disruptive influence' I tried to stifle them. I squeezed my eyes tight shut and clenched my teeth. This happened several times and I was nearly crying with effort. Believe me I wasn't happy. Throat burned out with fumes, still trying to catch my breathe and now screwing my face up with non -yawning concentration.

Then the tutor flicked on the lights looked at me, saw that I had tears in my eyes and said, "Oh yes Meditating can be very emotional!"

EMOTIONAL! They were tears of sheer boredom and effort in stopping myself from yawning!

She then asked if 'anyone had gone off on a lovely journey?'

I thought 'Journey? With that depressive fella rattling on in the background?'

So as you can see last weeks Reiki did not go well. :-) I almost didn't go again but then I'd paid for my course up front and thought I needed to get my money's worth.

This week she put less lemonbalm in the oil burner so I didn't mind it. The Indian guy was still going on about breathing out with a contorted tongue for ages but I didn't listen. AND, this week we were actually shown how to do Reiki Healing!

Weirdly while doing it I spotted a rainbow of colours inside my head which is supposed to correspond to the internal Chakras. Then during the night I woke up with a buzzing feeling all over my body and pins and needles and a burning sensation in my hands. The burning and the pins and needles in my hands kept me awake on and off during the night and next day I looked it up on the 'net to see if I'd poisoned myself somehow (I was going to phone up the college and complain). Turns out this is a very good sign that you are healing and have the ability to channel cosmic energies. Maybe I should take this reiki further?

A while ago I was told by several people that I should develop my psychic abilities (as I've had a few run ins with Spirits and Ghosts) but I've always avoided going down any road like that. ( I've got enough on my hands dealing with the living I don't want the dead to come a-calling too). Which is one reason why I've always avoided meditating and energy channeling in the past.

However, I do quite like this Reiki so far.... To anyone thinking about doing one of these introduction courses I'd say go for it.